Chris Billam-Smith would welcome a fight with Oleksandr Usyk at cruiserweight, but it’s hard to see why Usyk would take it.
Billam-Smith faces Cheavon Clarke this Saturday in a fight that has generated little buzz. Even a strong win would leave him a long way from getting Usyk’s attention.
“Anyone would love to have that opportunity,” Billam-Smith said on talkSPORT when asked if he’d like to fight Usyk. He praised Usyk for what he accomplished in his first run at cruiserweight, including beating opponents in their own backyards. He also floated the possibility of Usyk fighting David Benavidez in May.
Benavidez is precisely why the Billam-Smith fight is so hard to picture. If Usyk can get Benavidez, there’s little reason to take a detour through Billam-Smith first. If he beats Benavidez, there’s even less reason to stick around for a fight that would be a much tougher sell.
Saudi backing could put a big purse on the table, but someone would have to be willing to take a hefty loss on the show. A former world champion settling an old score at the Copper Box is a decent Saturday main event. It would take a lot more than a win over Clarke to make Billam-Smith the opponent people want to see for one of Usyk’s last fights.
Billam-Smith tossing his name into the mix sounds like wishful thinking, because from a business standpoint, the numbers simply do not work. At cruiserweight, the appetite begins and ends with marquee matchups. Benavidez brings immense Mexican American star power and guaranteed crossover viewers. Jai Opetaia is viewed as the true elite at 200 pounds, a genuine pound-for-pound talent who can test Usyk athletically.
Those fights carry legitimate commercial intrigue and legacy value. Billam-Smith, by contrast, is a domestic UK ticket seller whose profile drops off steeply once you leave Britain. Expecting Saudi organizers to cut a massive check for an unheralded opponent when far bigger fights exist makes zero sense.
The winner of Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua remains a gigantic stadium draw for Usyk regardless of previous records. Fans would gladly line up for an undisputed rubber match or a fresh chapter with Daniel Dubois before Usyk hangs up the gloves.
